Box-sealing machine.



C. P. STRITE.

BOX SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I8. 1919.

gg Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

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CHARLES P. STRI'IE, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOB, TO WALDORF PAPER PROD- UCTS COMPANY, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF 'MINNESOTA BOX-SEALING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. "1, 1919.

Application filed April 18, 1918. Serial No. 229,405.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, CHARLES P. STRITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Box-Sealing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in box sealing machines, the primary object being to provide a simple, inexpenslve and effective machine for sealing boxes. More particularly this invention 1s adapted for use in sealing the flaps of paper boxes closed without gumming and sticking to the parts of the machine after the boxes have been shipped in knocked down condition. t I i In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention, part of the structure being .broken away and in section; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken upon the line XX of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section of a detail on an enlarged scale, said section bein taken on the, line Y-Y of Fig. 2; Fig. 1

is another section of a detail taken on the line ZZ of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a plan of a detail.

In the drawing, let A indicate the frame of the machine, which may be of any suitable construction, that illustrated being composed of a pair of longitudinal angle bars 2' and 3 spaced apart and supported upon the stand 4. Secured upon said longitudinal bars are a pair of skeleton side frames 5 and 6, which support a pair of rearwardly extending track bars 7 and 8, said track bars being disposed in parallel relation and supported at their rearward ends by the brackets 8' forming part of the side frames. Across the rearward extremities of the track bars is a stop 10, which serves to buttress or brace the track bars laterally.

Arranged upon the longitudinal members 2 and 3 is a suitable form B, which is of suitable shape to receive and support the paper box or carton C, the ends 9 ofwhich are to be folded in box forming or open position. This form is mounted upon a pair of transverse bars 10, which are adaptedto rest upon the longitudinal members 2 and 3 and upon a pair of longitudinal cleats 11 fitting closely The transverse members 10 abut against the the ends of between said longitudinal members.

sides 5 and 6 of the frame, while the'longitudinal members 11 abut between the members 2 and 3 thus serving to hold the form in stationary position on the bed of the frame work. i

The object of the machine is to quickly and effectively seal the flaps 9 on the upper end of the box closed after glue or other adhesive has been applied to the inner surfaces of the flaps without gumming the parts of the form and machine. To accomplish this result a carria e frame D is provided, which is composed o a pair of supporting bars 15 and '16 spaced apart and bridged by the member 17. The ends of the members 15 and 16 are slidably mounted by the tongue and groove connections 18 upon the track members 7 and 8, so that the carriage can be moved forwardly into position directly over the form B and backwardly away from over the form, so that the paper box to be sealed closed may be placed over the form and re-.

moved freely therefrom. The carriage D carries a suitable presser element havmg a head member 19 secured to a vertical shaft 20 by the plate 21, said shaft being threaded into the lower end of said plate. The shaft 20 is slidably mounted in the bearing 22, which is formed on the member 17, a'feather 23 being provided on the shaft by which the shaft is slidably secured in the bearing and prevented from turning. A pair of supports 24 mounted on the member 17 provides a bearing for a horizontal transverse shaft 25, on which latter shaft an eccentric or cam 26 is'mounted' carrying a handle or lever 27 by which the eccentric or cam can be turned. As the eccentric or cam is turned it is adapted to thrust the shaft 20 downwardly to depress the head member 19 and press the latter against the flaps of the box to hold them tightly compressed until they are thoroughly sealed by the glue. A pair of springs 28 and 29 secured to the member 17 and the plate 21 is adapted to raise the head into superior position on the carriage when the cam is released.

For the purpose of defining the forward movement of the carriage a pair of adjustable stops in the form of thumb screws 30 and 31 are threaded through supports 32, which are secured upon the forward ends of the track members 7 and 8 and abut against the forward end of the carriage when the carriage is moved into forward position. By adjusting these thumb screws and locking them by the lock nuts 33, the forward travel of the carriage can be permanently determined, so that the presser head 19 will always register over the upper end of the form B in desired position. Thus when the form B is placed on the bed of the ma hine for the purpose of sealing the box, the forward movement of the carriage can be regulated and determined. To prevent the head 19 from turning after it has been adjustedv a pair of lateral stops 35 and 36 are-formed on the plate 21 and between which a depending member 37 is arranged. Adjusting screws 38 passing through the members 35 and 36 are adapted to prevent the head 19 from turning and guide it vertically. To adjust the downward thrust of the head, it can when desired be regulated by removal and turning upon the threaded connection 39 produced by the lower end of the shaft 20.

A novel feature of myinvention is the construction of the form B having a pair of flat ressing surfaces orabutments 40 and 41 wlth a space 42 between them (see Fig. I), so that silica, glue or other wet adhesive on the inner ends of the flaps 9 of the container C will not collect and gum the surface of the form which would cause the container adhering to the form.

In operation the carriage is moved back on the rails 8 and 9 against stop 10' and the paper box in unfolded condition laced over the form B and the upperffiaps a er having the inner fates of their ends wet with adhesive folded down over the form. The car-' riage is then moved forward against the stops 30 and 31 whereupon it assumes a position directly over the form. The handle 27 is then turned forward and down and the plunger head 19 thereby thrust down, pressing the fiaps of the box and serving to hold them tightly compressed until the adhesive has set. lhe plunger head is then released, the carriage slid back and the box removed. During this entire operation there is no chance of the adhesive coming into contact with the form or machine and gumming their surfaces.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above ree eae set forth within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, Whatl claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A box sealing machine, comprising, in

combination, a frame having a base, sides and a pair of rearwardly' extending track rails supported by said sides, a form detachably supported on said base, a carriage slidably mounted upon said rails to move forwardly into a position directlyvover said form and backwardly away from a position over said form, a presser element adapted to coact with the upper end of said form to compress and hold the glued end flaps of a box in box forming position, a vertical thrust shaft carried by said carriage and in threaded engagementwith said presser element to permit of vertical adjustment, said shafts being feathered to said carriage to prevent turning, means for raising said presser element on said carriage, a cam having a ower handle pivoted on said car.- riage rWlt its cam surface arranged to thrust said shaft down when the handle is swung, adjustable stops on the forward end of said frame for defining the forward movement of said carriage, a stop on said rails for llmiting the rearward movement of said carriage and means between said carriage and presser element for preventing the presser element from unintentlonal turning on said shaft.

2. A box sealing machine, comprising, in combination, a supporting frame having an open base and a superimposed pair of rearwardly extending track rails, a form adapted to rest upon said base having means on its lower end adapted to be inserted in the opening in said base to hold the form from lateral displacement, and an opening in its upper end, said form being adapted to receive and hold a paper receptacle in open condition with its bottom flaps folded over the opening in said upper end after the 

